Electric sign



P. A. BROWN ELECTRIC SIGN March 10, 1925.

Filed Bed. 31. 1921 4 Sh cs-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Philip H. Br wn $5. 9ATTORNEY March 10, 1925.

P. A. BROWN ELECTRIC SIGN 4- Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed De. 31. 1921 INVENTOR.Philzp ll. Brown,

& I ATTORNEY March 10, 1925.

INVENTOR ATTORNEY t m HwIQN\ Q MH a s1 wk m m: 4 w: m m Q\ 3 1r Q w Qw QM 1L, A w 1 H g v S ms 1 1 f we m wm w W wM R9 mm NW] n f h ow Q w R S.i 3 ww R E Q Philip fhfimwn,

BY ff Patented Mar. 10, 1925.

umrso "STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP A. BROWN, or KANSAS-CITY, MISSOURILIASSIGNORTO HARLEYL. FERGUSON,

I or nnNsA's CITY, MISSOURI.

ELECTRIC sren.

Application filed.1').ecember 31, 1921. Serial. No. 526,192.

To alZw/mmc't may concern: j

Be It known that I, PHILIP A. BROWN,

a citizenof'the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county ofJackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new andusefulImprovements in Electric Signspof which the following is"afspecification. j

My invention relates to electric signs adapted to be used for displayingadvertisements and other matter in show windows and other suitableplaces; a r p In carrying out the invention, a relatively large -drumisemployed to carry a number of. advertisements which are successivel'y'displayed at an opening in an adjacent frame, or wall as said drumrevolves. Relatively small individual signs areas sociated with the drumto call attention to theadvertising or other matter carried by saiddrum; f

Other features will herein-after appear afndIin. order that theinvention may be fully understood, reference will; now be had to theaccompanying drawings, in whichz' Fiig. 1' is a perspective view of the;invention.

. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the drum and its driving mechanism, theframe associated tion.

Fig.3 isa broken plan view and its driving mechanism. a

Fig. 4 is'an' enlarged sectional detail of a detent for holding thedrum. stationary after each step. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of aflasher. Fig. 6 is an" end elevation of the flasher. Fig. 7 is a crosssectionjof one of the individual signs. 7 I

Fig. 8 is a diagram the flasher. V p v Referring now in detail to thedifferent parts; 2 designates a frame or wall havinga-rectangularopening 4 and, provided at of the drum its ends withornamental pillars 6; sur-' mounted by electricl'amps 8.

l0 designates a drum which is fixedly mounted-upon ashaft 112 journaledin the upper ends of a pair of standards 14.- In

the present instanceqthe drum 10 is of hexagonal configuration in crosssection and each side is of proper size to enter the opening .4 in theframe 2, as disclosed by with said drum being in vertical secof thecircuits and 'dama e will occur either Figsfl and 2. Each of the sixcorners of the frame is provided with longitudinal slideways 16 toreceive interchangeable cards 18 containing advertising or other desiredinformation. a

The drum 10 is rotated step by step 'to bring each card 18 in positionat the open h1g4 by the following mechanism: 20 designates a worm wheelmounted upon a stub shaft 22 carried by one of the standards 14. Saidworm wheel 20 is driven by a worm 24 which in turnis driven by anelectric motor 26. One of the spokes of the worm wheel 20 is providedwith a draw-bar 28 yielda'bly mounted on a stud 30 and normally drawnoutwardly by a coil spring 32 secured at its ends to the worm wheel 20and said draw-bar 28. i

The outer end of the draw-bar 28 is provided with a laterally projectingstud 34 40 of a wheel 42; fixed beside the drum 10 on the shaft 12. Theslots 40 are radially disposed and equal in numberto the sides of thedrum 10. g

44 designates a stop yieldably mounted in a guide46 carried by a bracket48 secured to the adjacent standard-l4. Said stop 44 is normally pressedoutwardly against the wheel 42 by a spring 50.

With the foregoing construction it is evident that while the worm 20revolves continuously, it through the intermediacy of the detent-28revolves the wheel 42 and the drum 10 the signs display at step by steptosuccessively bring on'the drum. 10 in position for the opening 4 1nthe frame 7 As the pin- 34 passes out of' engagement with the wheel 42the same is held stationary by thestop 44, which is forced into theregistering; slot 40 by the spring 50. Should the drum be turned by handfor any reason while the worm wheel 20 is stationary no g to said pin 40or the stop 44, as they may be forced inwardly against the action of therespective springs 32 and 50 by the wheel 42.

Referring now to the electrical apparatus, 54" designates a flasherassociated with the opposite end'of the drum 10 from the drivingmechanism above described. Said fiasher 54 embodies a disk 56 ofinsulation fixedly mounted upon the shaft 12 and provided at itsperiphery with segmental contacts 58, 60, '62, 64, 66 and 68 connectedin series by conductors 70. Some of the contacts are of different widthsand the face of the contact 62 is divided into members 62 and 62 lheface of the contact 66 is divided by insulation into members 72 and 74-,while the face of the contact 68 is divided by insulation into members 76 and 7 8.

The flasher 5l also includes .a plurality of brushes 80, 82, 8 1, 86 and87 ,the first four brushes being arranged side by side and diametricallyopposite the brush 87. The brushes are secured to blocks of insulatingmaterial 88 fixed to a bracket 89 secured to the adjacent standard 14.

The brush 80 is connected by a wire conductor 90 to a main 100, whilethe brush 87 is connected by a wire conductor 102 to a main wire 104:.The wire conductor 90 is connected to the poles of a flash light 106,mounted at the central, upper portion of the frame 2, the lamps 8 ofwhich are connected in series by a wire conductor 108 connected acrossthe mains 100 and 104.

The brush 82 is connected to the main 100 by a wire conductor 110, whichis connected to the poles of a lamp 112.

The brush 8% is connected in parallel with the brushes 80 and 82 by awire conductor 111, which is connected to the poles of a lamp 116. Thebrush 86 is cOnnected in parallel with the brushes 80 to 84. inclusive,by a wire conductor 117, which is connected to the poles of a lamp 119.

By reference to Figs. 5 and 6, and the diagram Fig. 8, it will beunderstood that each time the drum 10 pauses one of the segmentalcontacts of the flasher 54 will be in engagement with the brush 80,while a dianietrically opposed contact will be in engagement with thebrush 87, thus establishing a circuit from the main 100 to the main methrough the wire 90, the flash light 106, the segmental contacts on thedisk 56, the conductors 70, the brushes 87, and the wire conductor 102.

Then the flasher 54 stops with the contact member 7 8 in engagement withthe brush 82, a circuit will be established from the main 100 to themain 10-it through the wire conductor 110, the lamp 112, the brush 82,the segmental cont-acts and the conductors 70, the brush 87, and thewire 102.

hen the flasher 5% stops with the contact member 7a in engagement withthe brush sit, the circuit just above described will be established,excepting that that portion of the wire conductor 110 including thebrush 82 and the lamp 112 will be cut out, while the lamps 116 and thewire 114: will be connected in.

When the contact member 62 stops in contact with the brush 86, the lamp119 and wire 117 will be connected in and the lamps 112 and 116 out out.

During each step by step movement of the drum 10 all of thecircuitsabove described are cut out, excepting that in which the lamps 8 arelocated, said lamps 8 continuing to glow until the switch 120 is opened.

The lamps 112, 116 and 119, illuminate the individual signs 122, each ofwhich consists of oblong boxes 12 i having grooves 126 in its upperportion toreceive a glass or other interchangeable slide 128, whichcontains the advertising or other matter which is brought prominentlyinto view each time the lamp in the box glows.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that I haveprovided an apparatus whereby advertising or other matter can beprominently displayed, and which matter can be readily changed from timeto time as desired; and while I have shown and described thepreferredconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, I reservethe right to make such changes as properly fall within the spirit andscope of the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described, a drum for displayingadvertising and other matter, mechanism for rotating said drum step bystep, an electric lamp for illuminating the matter displayed by thedrum, relatively small individual signs placed in advance of the drum,lamps for illuminating said individual signs, circuits for the lamps,and a flasher actuated by the drum and which makes and breaks saidcircults.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, a drum for displayingadvertising or other matter, a disk fixed to said drum and having radialslots, a driven wheel, a draw bar carried by said wheel and adapted tosuccessively enter the radial slots to move the disk step by step, astationary support, and a spring-pressed stop to successively enter theradial slots as the disk moves the distance of each step.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a drum adapted to carrydisplay matter, mechanism for intermittently rotating said drum,individual display means spaced from said drum, and means forillumina-ting a diflerent individual display means during each pause ofthe drum.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, a drum adapted to carry aplurality of signs, mechanism for rotating said drum step by step tosuccessively bring the signs in position to be displayed, individualdisplay signs each of which has subject matter related to a sign on thedrum, and intermittent means for illuminating each sign on the drum asit reaches the display position and for illuminating the individual signrelated to the sign in display position on the drum.

5. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, a drum adapted to carrya plurality of signs, mechanism for rotating said drum step by step tosuccesswely bring the signs in position to. be displayed, individualdisplay signs each of which has subject matter related to a sign on thedrum, a lamp for illuminating each sign displayed by the drum, a lampfor illuminating each individual sign, circuits for the lamps, and meansfor closing the circuit to the drum lamp and a

